State
Sen. Heather Steans, D-Chicago, was up for reelection last year, so she entered
the March primary, got the Democratic nomination for her district, raised
roughly $94,300 over several months and won unopposed in the general election.
This
month, she and her colleagues were sworn in as the 102nd General Assembly
convened. But a few days later, saying it was time for “fresh eyes and fresh energy,” she
announced her resignation, effective Jan. 31.
Steans
cited family responsibilities, including the needs of her mother, who has
Alzheimer’s disease. We were unable to reach her for a more detailed
explanation. But really, if you don’t want the job, don’t run.
She
leaves office with a campaign account — donations from citizens, businesses,
political committees and unions who supported her continued role in the Senate
— carrying at least $325,000 that she can spend on other political activities.
Illinois election law is pretty loose on the rules.
And
political insiders, not voters, will now choose her replacement to finish her
two-year term.
Steans’
departure may sound like an oddly abrupt decision for someone not being
forced out by scandal. But it’s commonplace in Illinois. Incumbent politicians
often enter reelection races only to drop out after winning the primary or
resign after taking office. The day before Steans announced her resignation,
Sen. Andy Manar, D-Bunker Hill, left to take a job with Gov. J.B. Pritzker. Back in 2008,
as it happens, Steans arrived in the Senate after being appointed, not elected.
We
don’t begrudge anyone who suddenly faces unforeseen obligations or gets new
opportunities that are too good to pass up. But when elected legislators bail
out, voters are deprived of the person they chose to represent them — and
deprived of a role in the replacement.
Instead
of holding new elections to fill legislative vacancies, as 25 states do,
Illinois assigns the task to local party committees. The departing lawmaker
often gets a say in who it will be. State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who reportedly
plans to seek the appointment, will have 22% of the weighted vote in the choice
of Steans’ successor through her role as a party leader in the 49th Ward. So
Cassidy can put herself at the front of the line. Chicago Ald. Harry Osterman,
48th, will hold a 27% share of the weighted vote on Steans’ replacement.
This
is not healthy for democracy. It encourages cynicism among voters — rightfully
so — that is already in high supply. It feeds distrust in government that
carries serious consequences of frustration, numbness and disengagement.
Steans
is an accomplished lawmaker who has won our endorsement multiple times. When
she announced her resignation, Senate President Dan Harmon, praised her as “a
forceful advocate for progress and problem solving, who fearlessly tackled many
of the biggest issues in our society and was always looking for her next
challenge.”
We
regret her departure partly because it deprives Springfield of her
expertise. But we especially regret that Steans has disappointed voters who
assumed she was prepared to do the job for the next two years. Had she decided
not to run for reelection, there might have been a wide-open contest for the
seat. As it is, voters won’t get to weigh in until 2022, when her successor
will have all the advantages of incumbency.
In
November, voters decided they wanted Steans to continue representing them in
Springfield. Too bad what the voters want doesn’t matter.